Tonthoza Uganja
Dr Tonthoza Uganja | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Other name | Tontho |
| Education | Bangor University (PhD) Bangor University (MSc) Mzuzu University (BSc) |
| Occupation | Agroforestry expert |
| Employer | Bangor University |
| Organization | Sustainable Farming Solutions |
| Website | https://www.sfsmw.org/ |
Tonthoza "Tontho" Uganja is a Malaiwan ecopreneur, agroforestry expert and environmental researcher. She is the founder and chief executive officer of Sustainable Farming Solutions (SFS), a social enterprise that combines restoration science and nature-based carbon finance to combat land degradation in Malawi.[1] Uganja also serves as a lecturer in Forestry at the School of Environmental & Natural Sciences, Bangor University.[2]
Early life and education
Uganja pursued her undergraduate education at Mzuzu University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in forestry.[3] Uganja went on to attend Bangor University in Wales, where she completed a Master of Science (MSc) in Tropical Forestry; she was awarded the Peter Henry Award for the Best Dissertation in Tropical Drylands.[4] She later returned to Bangor University to pursue a PhD focused on monitoring forestry landscape restoration interventions.[2] Uganja has since published some of her doctoral research; she coauthored an article that assessed three global land-cover datasets for monitoring forest restoration in Malawi, finding that Esri was the most accurate but that global datasets should be combined with national inventories and community-based data for reliable monitoring.[5]
Uganja founded Sustainable Farming Solutions (SFS) in 2019. SFS is a Malawian farmer-first organisation that uses agroforestry and restoration to improve smallholder livelihoods. She leads land restoration across degraded landscapes with strong monitoring, transparent benefit sharing and a focus on women's leadership.[6] Uganja is also co-developing Smart-Tree, a digital monitoring and traceability platform that supports credible reporting and fairer access to nature-based finance for farmers.[7][8]
Awards and fellowships
Uganja's contributions to sustainable food systems and landscape restoration have earned her international recognition:
- 2026 African Visionary Fellow, Segal Family Foundation[1]
- 2025 Henry Arnhold Fellow, Mulago Foundation[7]
- Schlumber Faculty for the Future Fellow: Awarded to support her doctoral scientific research[9]
- 2024 AGRA's Value4Her Rising Star Award for Southern Africa[10]
References
- 1 2 "Tontho Uganja". Segal Family Foundation. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
- 1 2 "Lecturer in Forestry, School of Environmental & Natural Sciences, Tonthoza Uganja". Bangor University. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
- ↑ "Tonthoza Uganja". UCLA IoES. 2026-06-23. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
- ↑ "Tonthoza "Tontho" Uganja - MSc in Tropical Forestry (Distance Learning), 2016-2019". Bangor University. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- ↑ Uganja, Tonthoza; Mollee, Eefke; Gibbons, James (2026-07-27). "Accuracy assessment of global land cover datasets for monitoring forest landscape restoration targets in Malawi". Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 198 (8): 885. doi:10.1007/s10661-026-15733-z. ISSN 1573-2959. PMC 13407716. PMID 42509344.
- ↑ "In leading continent's sustainable growth, East Africa must strike right global partnerships - General News Malawi | Nyasa Times". 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
- 1 2 "Tonthoza Uganja - Mulago Foundation". www.mulagofoundation.org. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
- ↑ "Tonthoza Uganja - WAYA". Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- ↑ "Tonthoza Uganja - Schlumberger Foundation". Retrieved 2026-08-20.
- ↑ "AGRA Announces Top 15 Finalists and Judging Panel for the 2024 VALUE4HER Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA)". 2024-07-27. Retrieved 2026-08-20.